THE PORT AUTHORITY OF NY & NJ

Press Release Article

PORT AUTHORITY LAUNCHES LIMITED EDITION PATH SMARTLINK CARD CONTEST

Date: Jan 22, 2014Press Release Number: 18-2014

Contestants May Enter for a Chance to Win One of Five Collectible, Limited Edition PATH SmartLink Cards

With Super Bowl XLVIII less than two weeks away, the Port Authority today announced the launch of a limited edition PATH SmartLink Card Contest designed to reward the agency’s social media followers and inform customers about the enhanced mass transit services it will offer leading up to Game Day.

Prospective entrants can participate by following the @PATHTrain Twitter feed and retweeting the contest tweet using Twitter’s Retweet feature. At the conclusion of the contest, five entrants will be chosen at random to receive a limited edition PATH SmartLink card, which may be used as a souvenir of the championship game or to pay fares.

The contest will run through 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday January 29, and the winners will be randomly chosen prior to the February 2 game.

“The @PATHTrain Twitter feed enables the Port Authority to relay up-to-date PATH alerts while also ensuring safe and reliable service to our visitors and our regular customers,” said PATH Director and General Manager Stephen Kingsberry. “With this contest, the agency is not only increasing awareness of its critical social media page, but also allowing PATH riders to commemorate the first mass transit Super Bowl.”

Earlier this month, PATH announced the launch of the commemorative Super Bowl XLVIII Limited Edition PATH SmartLink cards available for purchase online, from blue SmartLink vending machines in most PATH stations and several Hudson News locations. First introduced in 2007, the SmartLink card is made of plastic and the size of a credit card. PATH customers can replenish their cards at ticket machines, online with a credit card or have the cards replenished automatically. The cards have proven popular because they do not require a swipe through the turnstiles since they have embedded chips and do not expire.

PATH projects that as many as 300,000 passenger trips will be made on the system each weekday leading up to the Super Bowl, which represents a 20 percent increase over regular weekday ridership. Updates to the @PATHTrain Twitter feed are one of many enhancements to service that the Port Authority is providing to accommodate the additional demand.

PATH is a safe and convenient way to travel to and from several Super Bowl-related activities, including Super Bowl Boulevard, which stretches from 34th to 47th streets on Broadway. The PATH train will take riders to the 33rd Street station, just one block away from the activities.

CONTACT:Port Authority of New York and New Jersey212-435-7777

Founded in 1921, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey builds, operates, and maintains many of the most important transportation and trade infrastructure assets in the country. The agency’s network of aviation, ground, rail, and seaport facilities is among the busiest in the country, supports more than 550,000 regional jobs, and generates more than $23 billion in annual wages and $80 billion in annual economic activity. The Port Authority also owns and manages the 16-acre World Trade Center site, where construction crews are building the iconic One World Trade Center, which is now the tallest skyscraper in the Western Hemisphere. The Port Authority receives no tax revenue from either the State of New York or New Jersey or from the City of New York. The agency raises the necessary funds for the improvement, construction or acquisition of its facilities primarily on its own credit. For more information, please visit http://www.panynj.gov.